Locks



Oct. 16, 1962 Filed April 12, 1960 V. D- TOCCHETTO LOCKS 2 Sheets-Sheet1 INVENTOR. \2G5\L\o O. 'Taacua- -ro aY W A'T' 'TOQNE 5 Oct. 16, 1962 v.D. TOCCHETTO 3,058,336

LOCKS Filed April 12, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I 1 INVENTOR. L \/\2G l LloD.T'o=cHa -ro PIC-3J3 {MM A-F-roz E 5 3,653,336 HICKS Virgilio DanteTocchetto, Caigua St. 3529, Montevideo, Uruguay Filed Apr. 12, 196i),Ser. No. 21,731 7 Claims. (Ql. 70--364) This invention relates toimprovements on looks of the type comprising a drum or axial drivecylinder, within which are located a group of elements distributed in amanner to allow an operation of blocking and/ or opening by means of akey which, by its constitution and design, permits a series ofcombinations in direct relation to said elements.

The main characteristic of the group now under consideration is that itincludes, among its constitutive elements, certain means which impart tothe lock the conditions required for its inviolabiiity, its outwardappear ance being that corresponding to the well-known types of locks,which include a drum or axial drive cylinder.

One of the advantages of the present invention, as compared with wellknown types of cylinder locks, is that the structure of the presentinvention permits more combinations or variations in the keys than canbe obtained with the well known types of structures.

Another of the advantages is that the blocking elements, or tumblers,are located within .an axial drum or hollow cylinder formed by twosemi-cylindrical sections thereby permitting the operator to take thecylinder apart completely in order to make all kinds of repairs.Moreover, the elements employed as well as the corresponding key can bemanufactured in larger or smaller sizes, while still obtaining excellentlocking.

The lock of this invention is constituted by an axial drum or hollowcylinder formed by two identical semicylindrical sections, within whichare located a number of tumblers equipped with small expansion springswhich force these to stay in a specific position. The above tumblers,which are formed by small pieces in H shape, protrude from the axialdrum through small circular holes, that is, lateral perforations,distributed on its surface, in such a way that the protruding parts actas a bolt when they abut the walls of a groove made in the interior of acylinder which covers the assembly of the cylinder and the tumblers andwhich defines the casing of the lock.

The key, formed by two bits placed in an inverted U shape, presents, ineach of its edges a toothed or undulated area whose irregularities forceby contact pressure, when it is inserted into the drum, the mentionedtumblers to withdraw or retract their protruding ends to the surface ofthe drum, so that the latter can rotate freely as the key is rotated. Itis easy to deduce that if the toothed area of the key does not coincideexactly with the contact points of the tumblers this movement cannot beachieved, for it suflices for one of the tumblers not to retract to theextent required to act as a bolt and block the lock.

Within the general order, the rotation of said drum is related to thesystems of locks by well-known means but, in particular, it can beeffected, within one of the preferred realizations, by adding a controlformed by a small rectangular connecting pin, equipped with an expansionspring, placed in the epicenter of the face of the drum opposed to theone where the mouthpiece for the key is located, so that the head of thepin is driven by the key at the end of its movement, thus helping to itsdisplacement. The displacement of the pin permits the pin to beconnected and/or disconnected with a bolting device and particularly theone illustrated in the enclosed drawings.

To obtain the various combinations, each of the turnblers may be adifferent size from the tumbler adjacent thereto; or one or more of thetumblers can be of less height than other tumblers; or one of the rowsformed by the ends of the tumblers may have a uniform height, and thenext row be of irregular height, etc., thereby 0btaining many differentpossible combinations.

On the other hand, the above combinations can be amplified bydimensioning the key so that this acts with respect to the connectingpin according to the thickness of the head of the latter, i.e., thatonly the key of appropriate dimension will be the one acting on the pin,thus resulting a possible double combination; one corresponding to thefunction performed by the pin itself as a means of direct contact withany bolting system and the one corresponding to the function of the drumindependently, all this in a joint or separate combination.

The invention will now be described in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 shows an exploded side elevation, partly in section, of thecylinder showing the location of the tumblers therein and the adjustingcovers for holding the sections of the cylinder in position.

FIGURE 2 shows a fragmentary side elevation with the covers in position,but showing only the lower half of the cylinder. In this figure, the keyis partly inserted into the cylinder.

FIGURE 3 shows a view corresponding to FIGURE 2, but including the otherhalf of the cylinder, and showing the key completely inserted into thelock.

FIGURE 4 shows a cross section of the lock with the tumblers in thebolting position relative to the casing of the lock.

FIGURE 5 is a cross section corresponding to that shown in FIGURE 4, butwith the key inserted into the lock and with the tumblers in theirretracted position.

FIGURE 6 shows a perspective view of the key.

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged cross section of the cylinder showing thearrangement of the tumblers in the cylinder.

FIGURE 8 shows a perspective view of the cylinder and the key, with thekey about to be inserted into the keyway.

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the guide piece whichkeeps the tumblers aligned.

FIGURE 10 is a view corresponding to that of FIG- URE 2, but showing theconnecting pin for connecting the cylinder to the bolt.

FIGURE 11 shows a view corresponding to FIGURE 10 with the keycompletely inserted in the lock.

FIGURE 12 is a view corresponding to that showing the connection of theconnecting pin with the bolt.

FIGURE 13 is a view corresponding to FIGURE 12, but showing the keycompletely in the lock.

Referring to the drawings, the lock of the present invention comprises acasing b, in which is rotatably mounted a hollow cylinder or axial drivedrum a formed by two identical semi-cylindrical sections 1, 1', whichare maintained in position by a rear cover 2 and a front cover 3 whichincludes the corresponding mouthpiece or keyway 3' for inserting thekey.

Within the drum or cylinder thus constituted, is located, fixed to oneof the parts -1 which form the drum, a guidepiece 4 which keepsequi-distant a number of tumblers 5 in perpendicular position by passingadjustment of their ends 6, 6', through circular lateral perforations 7,7 made through the surface of the drum, the said tumblers being mountedon small compression springs 8. The said expansion springs keep thetumblers in such a Way that their ends protrude from the surface of thedrum and they are only retracted by the pressure exerted by the key 9 onthe small stirrups or lateral shoulders 10 which are on said tumblers.The tumblers have an H shape seen from the front, the lateral shouldersdefining the cross bar of the H. Such conformation gives four rows oftumblers, two of them pointing upward and two downward.

The key 9 is formed by two bits 11, 11', each of these has in its edgesa toothed or undulated area 12 whose irregularities, when facing thestirrups 10 of the tumblers, impart to these a retractile movement sothat their protruding ends, in relation to the surface of the drum,disappear and the lower ends are guided in the mentioned circularperforations 7, so that the said retractile movement takes place in aproper and alined way, thus permitting the rotation of the drum whichwill operate a bolting device.

The above arrangement permits an infinite series of combinations, for itis possible to modify the design of each of the edges of the bits withrelation to the toothed area, and on the other hand to shorten thelength of one or the other or both ends of the tumblers in such a waythat, according to what is convenient, one of them or indistinctly anumber of them are commanded in an alternate manner, or any othercombination.

According to the preferred form of the invention, the axial drum isprovided with a rectangular connecting pin 13 with head 14, mounted on acompression Spring 15, placed slidingly in the epicenter of theadjusting face opposed to the one containing the mouthpiece of the key.When the key is inserted into the lock, the forward end of the key abutsthe head 14 of the connecting pin, and thereby urges the connecting pinforwardly.

When the connecting pin is urged forwardly, the forward end thereof isreceived Within a rectangular opening in block '16 to which is attachedthe bolt 17. When the key is rotated, the cylinder and the connectingpin also rotate, thereby rotating bolt 17 to lock or unlock the lock.

The above description is by way of example and not by way of limitation,the invention being only limited as defined in the accompanying claims.

I claim: a

1. In a cylinder lock, a casing having mounted therein a hollow cylinderdefined by two semi cylindrical sections, securing means for holdingsaid semi-cylindrical sections together, a plurality of tumblersslida-bly mounted in said cylinder, said cylinder having therethrough afirst series of lateral perforations, the upper ends of the tumblerspassing through said perforations, resilient means in the cylinderurging all the tumblers therein in one direction so that said upper endsof the tumblers normally project beyond the outer surface of thecylinder to lock the cylinder to said casing, each of the tumblershaving thereon a lateral shoulder for coacting with a key when thelatter is inserted in the cylinder to move said tumblers downwardly towithdraw said ends of the tumblers into said cylinder.

2. A look as defined in claim 1, wherein said securing means includes acover for each end of the cylinder, said covers holding saidsemi-cylindrical sections together in a cylindrical shape, one of saidcovers defining a key way.

3. A cylinder lock as defined in claim 1, wherein said tumblers areH-shaped, the ends of the tumblers on one side of the cross-bar of the Hdefining said upper ends.

4. A cylinder lock as defined in claim 3, wherein said cylinder has asecond series of lateral perforations therethrough on the side of saidcylinder opposite said first series, the lower ends of said turn-blersbeing receivable in said second series of perforations, at least uponinsertion of said key, both series of perforations guiding the tumblersduring their sliding movement in the cylinder, said first series ofperforations -bein-g through one of said semi-cylindrical sections andthe second series of perforations being through the othersemi-cylindrical section.

5. A cylinder lock as defined in claim 4, including axial extendingguide means in said cylinder for guiding said tumblers.

6. A cylinder lock as defined in claim 5 wherein said securing meansincludes covers at each end of the cylinder for holding thesemi-cylindrical sections in cylindrical position, one of said coversdefining a key way.

7. A cylinder lock, as defined in claim 6, including an axiallyextending connecting pin slidably mounted in said other cover forsliding axial movement, said pin having an inner end being positionedwithin said cylinder, resilient means normally urging said inner endtoward said key way whereby when a key is inserted into the cylinder,the forward end of the key will contact the inner end of said pin tourge said pin rearwardly of the cylinder so that the outer end of saidpin will be forced into operative connection with the bolt of the lock.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS480,299 Voigh-t i Aug. 9, 1892 1,440,459 Gretf Jan. 2, 1923 1,500,883Muller July 8, 1924 2,049,548 Swanson Aug. 4, 1936 2,079,628 Olson May11, 1937 2,123,940 Gray July 19, 1938 2,375,682 Olson May 8, 19452,620,649 Befnardo Dec. 9, 1952

